Dr. Jenifer Gomez Pastora received a $300K grant from the Welch Foundation.

Jenifer Gomez Pastora, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, has been awarded a research grant from the Welch Foundation to explore innovative methods for converting waste CO2 into valuable products. The three-year project, titled "Magnetic Field Assisted Electrochemical Transformation of CO2 into Value-Added Products," will integrate magnetic fields into electrolyzers designed to facilitate the conversion of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and fuels.

With the looming threat of climate change and the urgent need for sustainable solutions, Gomez's work focuses on the development of more efficient processes for reducing CO2 emissions, specifically targeting the chemical process industry. By leveraging the power of magnetic fields, this research aims to unlock new pathways for electrochemical reactions that can have a significant impact on both environmental sustainability and energy production.

“This work represents an important step towards the eventual decarbonization of the chemical process industry and may serve as a starting point for improving our understanding of the effects of magnetic fields in electrochemical processes,” said Gomez. “These findings could be applied to other reactions and systems, broadening the scope of their impact in clean energy and carbon capture technologies.”

This pioneering project is poised to not only contribute to the scientific community's understanding of electrochemical transformations but also to support efforts to mitigate climate change through innovative carbon capture and conversion technologies.

Gomez’s team, in collaboration with researchers at Texas Tech University, will begin the research immediately, with expected milestones including developing prototype systems and performing initial experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of magnetic field-assisted electrochemical CO2 conversion.